Old Orchard Beach, Maine Vacations
Do you and your children want to experience a
Maine coastal vacation reminiscent of years past? With an
amusement
park that dates back to 1902...
...and a 500 foot pier, lined with souvenirs,
restaurants and entertainment, Old
Orchard Beach, Maine could be the perfect place your next
Maine vacation.
Originally an abandoned apple orchard, the town of
Old Orchard Beach is located on the southern coast of Maine...
...and for
centuries, it's seven-mile sandy beach has made it a popular Maine
vacation spot
- especially for families. Little kids and big kids alike can
enjoy the many things to do, and activities and events in Old Orchard
Beach, Maine.
Things to Do Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Once you have seen the seven-mile sandy beach in
Old
Orchard Beach, Maine, you may not be interested in doing much more than
lounging and sunbathing. Although sooner or later, you are
bound to
get restless.
When that happens, you won't need to go far to
find fun things to do in Old Orchard Beach, Maine.
Right in the heart of the beach is...
 ...New England's only
beachfront amusement park, Palace
Playland Amusement Park. The park is perfect for
fair weather
fun
AND rainy day activities. It has 25 rides, including a Ferris
wheel, two roller coasters, a
carousel, thrill rides, Kiddie Land...
...and a 24,000 square foot arcade with more than
200 games and attractions.
Just to the north of Palace Playland is...
...The
Pier at Old Orchard Beach, a 500 foot boardwalk stretching
out toward the
Atlantic Ocean. With shops,
restaurants, bars, live entertainment and seasonal weekly fireworks,
this is a
lively hub of activity in Old Orchard Beach.
Just a short walk from The Pier...
...you can visit the Harmon Museum and Historical
Society. The museum is open seasonally and
displays historical memorabilia from in and around Old Orchard Beach,
Maine.
On Washington Avenue, local artists display and
sell
paintings, prints, sculptures, photography and cards at the Saco Bay Artists Gallery.
Depending on what time of year you visit...
...you may catch a ballgame
at The Ballpark in Old
Orchard Beach, as the Raging Tide's of Old Orchard Beach
play out
their summer schedule.
Unwind even more at the Old
Orchard Beach golf courses...
...the Dunegrass
Country Club
provides "18 holes that meanders over 300+ acres of wooded,
back dunes". Also in Old Orchard Beach are...
...the 9 hole Old
Orchard Beach Country Club and the 18 hole Biddeford and Saco Country
Club. For a different twist on the game...
...Pirates
Cove Adventure Golf is sure to make a hit with entire
family!
And, if you would rather be on the water...
The Ripping
Lips Charters will share with you their favorite spots for
striped bass, bluefish, cod, haddock, tuna and sharks, aboard their
23-foot center console boat.
Seafare
Charters' Captain Jay - a licensed Coast Guard captain and
registered Maine Guide, specializing in Tidewater fishing - will take
you on a 3 hour fishing expedition.
Along the way you
will get a firsthand look as lobster traps are pulled and baited, and
learn the history of the islands of Saco Bay.
While tourists are in town, the Old
Orchard Beach,
Maine calendar of events is filled with great family
activities.
But if you want to venture out, neighboring towns have lots
of fun things to do, also.
Just minutes away in Saco, Maine...
...you can spend
a
day at Funtown Splashtown USA
or at the Ferry Beach State Park, rent a kayak,
go bowling, or catch one of twelve movies at the Cinemagic movie
theater.
In Scarborough,
Maine...
...the
Scarborough Marsh Nature Center, the Maine Indoor Karting facility,
harness racing at Scarborough Downs,
and the auto races at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, will all help make it
a
great Maine vacation!
An easy drive to the north or south and you can
visit York Beach, Ogunquit,
Kennebunkport, Portland
(Maine's largest
city), Freeport, and the many
other quaint New England towns
and villages surrounding Old Orchard Beach, Maine.
Art galleries, antiques shops,
lighthouses, scenic coastal drives, sightseeing tours, fine dining,
windjammer
and whale watching cruises,
and MUCH more are all nearby.
And along the way, you certainly won't want to
miss some of the best shopping in
Maine at the Kittery Outlets, with the Kittery Trading Post
and 120 other stores...
...and in Freeport, at
L.L. Bean
and the Freeport Outlet shops.
With seasonal service, the Amtrak Downeaster from
Old Orchard Beach to and the Portland, Maine
, Saco and Wells also makes for a
fun day trip.
Motels Old Orchard Beach,
Maine, Hotels, Inns and B&B's
The lodging
in Old Orchard Beach, Maine reflects the areas
family-oriented,
casual environment. Most lodging accommodations are privately
owned with many of them having been passed down through generations of
innkeepers.
Your Old Orchard Beach, Maine rental may have an
indoor pool or outdoor pool, sauna, hot tub, Jacuzzi, guest laundry, or
no amenities at all. But that is the laid back
atmosphere that makes and Old
Orchard Beach, Maine vacation so relaxing!
Appropriately named, The Beach House is
"located directly on the beautiful white sands of Old Orchard Beach,
Maine" and within a half mile from the Old Orchard Beach Pier.
Also with ocean view rooms, and "located on the
quiet side of the beach", just a mile from downtown Old
Orchard
Beach, is the Royal
Anchor Resort.
The Edgewater
Motor Inn offers oceanfront rooms, oceanview rooms,
suites, kitchenettes, and a rental apartment, and The Scrub Pines -
"Your own private cottage in Old Orchard Beach, Maine".
"Ideally located on a quiet oceanside street", the
Echo Motel
has three oceanfront cottages for rent, a three bedroom air-conditioned
house - 75 feet from the beach, and a studio apartment with a double
bed
- ideal for 1 or 2 people.
On the beach, in the "heart of all the
shopping and restaurants" the Normandie
Motor Inn also has a variety of lodging
accommodations, including ocean front and ocean view motels rooms and
"spacious" apartments, some with a Jacuzzi.
The three buildings of the Beau
Rivage Motel,
Old Orchard Beach, Maine...
...are across the street from the beach, a "five
minute walk to the Pier, downtown, the Downeaster Amtrak, a variety of
restaurants, and Palace Playland Amusement Park."
A great choice for couples and families wanting to
save
money on eating out is...
...the Ocean
Walk Hotel that has one room studios and two
room studios, all equipped with a kitchen and private bath.
Also on the list of places to stay in Old Orchard
Beach, Maine are great B&B's...
The Old
Orchard
Beach Inn is on the National Register of Historic
Places and is Old Orchard Beach's "first and finest luxury B&B".
And with a "bit of European charm on the beach"
the Auberge by the Sea
Bed and Breakfast is a quite four room property located 25
yards from the sand, by way of private, direct beach access.
If you want a more rustic experience, Old Orchard Beach campgrounds
may be perfect for you...
Hid'n Pine Campground, Ne're Beach Family
Campground, Paradise Park Resort...
...Pinehirst RV Resort, Powder Horn
Family Camping, or Wild Acres Family Camping Resort, are all within
easy
access of the Old Orchard Beach, Maine attractions.
Old Orchard Beach, Maine Restaurants and Dining
The nostalgia of beach vacations from years gone
by
is abundant in Old Orchard Beach. And you won't be let
down when it comes time to eat.
Equally irresistible are the crispy French fries
at Pier French Fries,
and their fried dough, topped with
fruit flavorings, cream, cinnamon, or powdered sugar.
If you manage to resist those tasty temptations,
certainly you will have a hard time not giving into the great aroma of Lisa's Pizza or Bill's Pizza.
 For heartier fare...
You
are invited by Jimmy
the Greek's to 'Become a Real Spartan" and by
yourself, eat one of their King Leonidas Calzones. "Finish it
and it's free!"
For smaller appetites...
...Jimmy the Greek's has a full menu of
Mediterranean inspired appetizers, salads, soups, sandwiches and
entrees.
Among the many places
to eat in Old Orchard Beach, Maine are wonderful seafood
restaurants (serving fresh Maine lobster, clams, haddock and crab),
and other casual and fine dining restaurants...
One of the oldest year-round restaurants on Old
Orchard Beach, Maine, the Captains
Galley has a full section of items to please both the
seafood
lover and the landlubber!
With a "spectacular view of the ocean", the Oceanside Grill at The Brunswick
condominium resort serves a wide-ranging menu...
...Joseph's
by the Sea
restaurant, overlooking Saco Bay,
serves breakfast
and dinner, offering "dining in casual
elegance"...
...and the Landmark
Restaurant provides a fine dining
experience, in a lovingly restored 1910 Victorian House.
Out on the famous Old Orchard Beach, Maine Pier,
at...
...Hooligan's Steak and Ale (an Irish Pub), Hurricane's Raw Bar, Sunset
Deck, Patio Pub, Lindbergh's Landing, you won't even feel as though
you've left the beach.
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